Arabic 1A

This subject is not offered in 2011.

This subject is an introduction to spoken and written Arabic language as well as culture for students with little or no knowledge of Arabic. On completion of the subject students should have acquired a spoken facility at a basic level in Modern Standard Arabic, the ability to read and understand a range of simple Arabic texts and stories within a vocabulary range of 200-400 most commonly used words, some basic grammatical structures of Arabic language, the ability to write simple texts such as descriptions, summaries and short accounts relating to the themes focused on in the semester, and a familiarity with some Arab cultural practices and traditions.

• command a spoken facility at a basic level in Modern Standard Arabic.
• command the ability to read and understand simple Arabic texts ranging from newspaper ads, descriptions, study guides, menus, etc to short newspaper articles within a vocabulary range of 200-400 most commonly used words in Arabic.
• have acquired some basic grammatical structures of Arabic language.
• have the ability to write simple texts relating to the themes focused on in the semester.
• have acquired a familiarity with some important Arab cultural practices and traditions.

Continuous homework assessment, best 8 pieces 15% (throughout the semester), a mid-semester test 20% (during the middle of semester), an aural/oral examination of 10 mins 15% (during the exam period) and a 3-hour written examination 50% (during the exam period).

Class attendance is required for this subject; if you do not attend a minimum of 80% of classes without an approved exemption you will not be eligible for a pass in this subject. Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

• Alif Baa with Multimedia. Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds. Second edition. (Brustad, Al-Batal and Al-Tonsi) Georgetown University Press, 2004.
• Al-Kitaab fii Tacallum al-cArabiyya with DVDs. A Textbook for Beginning Arabic. Part One. Second Edition. (Brustad, Al-Batal and Al-Tonsi) Georgetown University Press, 2004.

None.

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

• have grasped the role of underlying structures and rules in an unfamiliar communicative system,
• acquire skills to acknowledge the existence of alternative systems for organising and expressing thought,
• develop sensitivity to different cultural practices,
• acquire time management and planning skills through managing and organising workloads for assignment completion and
• acquire public speaking skills through class discussion.